Be Calm
by fladdianforlife
Summary: Thad was left deaf after an accident as a child. When things get too much at his school, how will he acclimatize to his new school? Klaine,  Flad, Niff. FLAD-CENTRIC
1. Chapter 1

Thad Harwood walked the halls of Thurston High School everyday in a world of silence. Locker slams and dumpster dives made up his day. He read all of the slurs thrown his way; fag, lady boy, pillow biter. He couldn't hear the words, but it didn't make it less painful or hurtful.

Thad was standing at his locker after the last bell, grabbing the books he needed to do his homework that night. He was hoping all the jocks had left for the day, running at practice or at home playing video games. He couldn't hear the herd of jocks approach him, laughing and jeering and planning his demise.

The jocks stood behind him and lifted him up, carrying him outside towards the dumpsters. Great, now Thad was going to walk home smelling like trash. They threw him on the ground near the dumpster and starting beating him up, kicking him and laughing. He couldn't see the things they were saying to him.

One boy pulled out a knife and started carving letters into his arm. Thad was thrashing around, trying to free himself from the hold that the athletes had on him. He was crying, praying for the pain to end. Someone must have walked out of the school because the boys stopped laughing and ran away, leaving Thad bleeding on the ground. He was having a hard time staying awake while he watched a blurry person come running towards him, yelling and screaming.

~~FLAD~~

The only thought flitting through Thad's mind was __where am I?__He could hardly open his eyes and it smelled like antiseptic. The sheets around him were scratchy and not his. He could feel the bed shaking around him and it was centered near his side. If he could just open his eyes! He felt like a weight was lying on his chest, and something under his nose was making nose feel weird.

His slowly gained control of his eyes, forcing them open to see the bright room he was in. Everything was white and unfamiliar. It looked like a hospital room straight out of a movie. Thad moved his head to the side, looking at his mother sitting in a chair beside her bed, crying on the bed. He tried to get her attention, and tell her stop crying. He couldn't figure out why he was even at the hospital. His arm was bandaged and he felt a burning sensation when he breathed.

A man wearing scrubs and a lab coat walked into his room holding a clipboard, chatting with Thad's mum. Thad's brain was so groggy, he couldn't figure out what he was saying from lip reading. He thought he caught "ribs" and "fracture", but he couldn't be sure. He'd have to ask his mum after the doctor left, if his hands would move.

The man, assuming he was the doctor, turned to around and waved to someone out of the room. A lady walked in, turning to Thad and waving. __Hey. I am Annaleigh, I am going to translate for Dr. Miller.__Thad smiled and nodded, just wishing he knew what was wrong with him.

Dr. Miller started talking rapidly and Annaleigh started signing.__Thad, you have 3 fractured ribs, your arm was severely lacerated, and a concussion. Do you hav___e ___any questions?__

Thad took a breath and started signing,__how long will it take for my ribs to heal? Also, when can I return to school?__

Annaleigh translated to the doctor, and Dr. Miller nodded. She started signing his response; __we estimate that your ribs will heal in 8 weeks. It could take longer if you don't care for it properly. As for school, you can return in one week, just to make sure you allow your body a resting period. You can go home tomorrow.__

Thad was relieved about the fact that he could go home tomorrow. He hated hospitals ever since he was 7. Bad memories and all of that jazz. Thad's mum got up and shook hands with the doctor, effectively dismissing him from the room. Annaleigh followed after. She turned to Thad and started signing, __hey baby. How are you feeling?__

__I'm fine, mum. I mostly feel pressure and my arm itches really bad.__ Thad did not want his mum to feel bad about his injuries. He didn't lie, he simply sugar-coated the truth. His arm did itch, but every time he inhaled, he felt like his chest was on fire.

He just wanted to go home and have a pity fest, but somehow he knew his mum would not be leaving him alone until he was healed. This both comforted him and pissed him off. Thaddeus was in the mood for wallowing in grief.

~~FLAD~~

_Thad, just sit in the damn chair so we can home already. _Thad was ready to leave the hospital and he did NOT want to be wheeled out in a fucking _wheelchair._

_Mum, I am not invalid. I can walk._ Thad was fuming. He just wanted to show that he had some sort of independence. No one likes to be babied. Annaleigh chose that moment to walk in.

_Come on honey. The hospital requires that every single patient be wheeled out of here. It's to save their asses and to avoid lawsuits. _She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the chair. Grumbling, Thad finally sat down.

His mum sighed in relief and started pushing the chair towards the hospital's exit and ultimately to the car. She helped him into the car and set off to their moderately sized home in Westerville. She would never tell Thad, but she had recently been looking into private schools to transfer him to. He wouldn't tell her, but she knew his school situation wasn't as good as he made it out to be. It couldn't be; not in Ohio.

She had her eyes set on Dalton Academy for Boys.

Now she had to tell Thad.


	2. Chapter 2

Thad couldn't believe that his mum was making him visit a private school. An all boys private school at that. One of those fancy, expensive, high-class places that Thad didn't belong in. If only his mum could understand. Leaving Thurston now would be quitting; it would be letting the bullies win. And that's just not okay.

_Thad, just tour the school. I'm not saying instantly enroll. Just look around – talk to a few of the boys. You might like it there._ His mum had been pimping this speech ever since he got home from the hospital. He didn't even want to approach the idea of Dalton Academy.

_Mum, guys at private school are not like me. Nothing there appeals to me._ That's a lie though. Upon his mum's first insistence, he googled Dalton. Thad was intrigued by the zero-tolerance bullying policy. However, the boarding and insane work load turned him off big time. He was intelligent, but he enjoyed just skirting along at his school. Even the AP classes were simple for him. But he liked it that way.

Being bullied in class made it hard to concentrate. Thad had self-learning down to a science. He couldn't imagine actually working and learning in class.

_Thaddeus. You are GOING to Dalton. At least once. Then you can decide. _Damnit, his mum was using her "no nonsense" facial expressions. Looks like he'll have to go see Dalton.

_Fine._ Thad left the room and went to his room, completely done with his mum.

~~FLAD~~

Dalton was huge. Whoever designed this school must have had Hogwarts in mind. The school was all brick and flying buttresses. The buildings all had names that were stereotypically prep school: Hanover, Winchester, Sanford, and the list goes on and on. The dorms were nice and clean. The rooms were almost the same size as his at home. Uniforms were compulsory, and they did not appeal the Thad one bit.

Thad was walking around the arts building. He passed a room full of dancing boys and stopped to look in. The man leading the tour said something to his mum. His mum turned to him and signed _those are the Warblers. They're the show choir here._ Thad could barely process anything his mum said. He could only focus on the boy in front of him.

He was gorgeous. He was big, well-muscled, and was tall. His hair was brunette with frosted tips, and beautiful brown eyes. Thad could stare at this boy all day long. Hot boy turned and faced Thad in the doorway and smiled. Add that to reasons why this boy was attractive – nice smile. Hot boy said something that looked like "Hey, I'm Flint. What's your name?" Thad would give anything to hear his voice.

Thad just pointed to his ear and shook hid head. Hot boy – Flint? - just smiled and walked over to a very blonde boy. Blondie looked at Thad and then to hot boy. Flint (?) said something and Blondie nodded. Blondie shocked the hell out Thad when he started signing.

_Hey. I'm Jeff, and this is Flint. Are you new here?_

Thad tried to collect his jaw off the floor as he signed back _I'm Thad. I'm a prospective student here. __How do you guys like Dalton? _He never once met another teenager who could sign. This was enthralling and made Thad wonder how he learned.

_We all love Dalton. Most of live on campus and consider each other brothers. And if you're wondering, we have ASL classes here. Quite a few us can sign and there are a couple other deaf students. _Jeff was talking as he was signing, probably to include the other boys. Some were smiling at Thad and others looked like they were trying to get Jeff to sign stuff to him. The only thing Thad could focus on was Flint.

_I think I might be transferring. _Thad's mum saw him sign it to Jeff and starting jumping up and down, squealing. This school was perfect for Thad. Never mind living, Thad could _thrive_ at Dalton. She walked down the hall pulling the tour guide with her. The man was the registrar of Dalton and was hoping to get Thad to agree to transfer. Had he known the Warblers would be the key, that would have been their first stop.

"He wants to transfer. Those boys convinced him." Mrs. Harwood could hardly believe that Thad agreed after 5 minutes of talking to a group of strange boys. She knew his whole life and couldn't get him to agree. Apparently, he needed to see that not all prep school boys were dicks. But thank god he's getting out of Thurston.

"Good. Thad isn't the first emergency transfer. God knows he won't be the last. This is Ohio. No one has tact or a brain of their own." The registrar clearly had an opinion about the state of Ohio and the way people were treated. "I'll just take you to the main office to fill out his paperwork. He can stay here. One of the boys will surely help him to the office when they're done bonding."

The registrar walked up to the boys and told them to help Thad find his way when they were done, but to take their time. Jeff Sterling, one of the friendliest guys on campus after leaving his shell post-emergency transfer, smiled and nodded, relaying this to Thad.

Thad looked to his mum and smiled. She was shocked, and realised that Thad hadn't smiled so brightly in almost 6 months. How could she not notice how banged up her son was? At least he seemed to be making friends now. She left and followed the registrar to the main office.

Thad could hardly believe that these boys were talking so freely around him. _So Thad, got a girlfriend? _Jeff was signing what everyone around him was saying, acting as messenger. Thad was good enough at lip reading to get half of their conversations and answer before Jeff could sign.

It was now or nothing. If they couldn't accept his sexuality, he was screwed. _No girlfriend. I'm actually gay._

Jeff smiled and nodded. _Me too. This is my boyfriend, Nick. _Jeff pointed to a boy with short brown hair who was smiling at Thad encouragingly. _And Blaine, _Jeff pointed to a short, curly headed boy, _and Flint._

Thad was internally hyperventilating. They accepted him. And hot boy was GAY. He had a chance, in theory. This was the first time he was ever accepted for his sexuality, other than with his mother. He breathed a sigh of relief. Well if he wasn't convinced before, he was definitely sure about his transfer.

Almost an hour later, after lots of laughs and a completely abandoned Warbler rehearsal, Thad decided it was time to go home. After collecting some of the boys phone numbers with promises of texting, he was escorted to the office. By Flint. It was all Jeff's idea. Jeff could totally tell that Thad was interested and Flint was equally interested. Flint managed to keep conversation flowing, with Thad lip reading and mouthing words back to him. Flint finally asked for Thad's phone number and Thad happily gave it to him.

In a moment of sheer impulse, Thad leaned in to Flint for a hug. Flint gasped but hugged him back, patting his back and holding for far longer than necessary. Thad pulled away with a smile and walked over to his mum, waving at Flint behind him.

~~FLAD~~

Thad was officially a student at Dalton Academy. He had his uniforms and the other appropriate clothing he could wear. The Warblers had given him the button they wore, if only to make him feel included in something. For once, Thad couldn't wait for school on Monday. Even if he still jumped at back pats and while turning corners. Thad had something at Dalton he never had at Thurston, before the first day of classes: friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Thad had never worn a school uniform before. The cut on his arm didn't help matters. Thankfully the blazer covered all his bruises and battle scars. It was Monday morning, and his dorm would be ready to move in Friday after class. His roommate was Jeff Sterling, the blonde Warbler who knew ASL. Apparently he had been rooming alone and after meeting Thad, decided to request him as a roommate.

All weekend he'd been texting Flint. So far, Thad knew more about him than anyone else he had ever met. He knew Flint's favourite colour (orange), favourite ice cream flavour (mint cookies and cream), favourite book (the Harry Potter series), and even Flint's favourite word (finagle). Flint had a vast knowledge of Thad to compensate (purple, mango, Angels and Demons, hippopotamus).

Walking into Dalton's hallowed halls, Thad pulled out his phone to text Flint, who had promised to help him find his classes.

7:01am

To: Flint

From: Thad

Hey, I just got here. Meet me?

7:02am

To: Thad

From: Flint

Yeah, give me like 30 seconds. I'm bringing Niff and Blaine.

True to his word, Flint walked up to Thad 30 seconds later with 4 other boys following close behind. Over the weekend, Thad had been informed of the "it" couple at Dalton. Niff (Nick and Jeff) were so nauseatingly cute that it was surprising that no one had diabetes. Blaine was the latest emergency transfer and was the lead soloist of the Warblers. Also, he was incredibly single. As was Flint.

And that's all Thad really cared about; Flint's availability.

Although it was ridiculous to think so. No one would ever want to date Thad, who was too chickenshit to stay at Thurston. No one would want to deal with the physical and emotional baggage of dating a deaf boy. Thad's world of silence was to endured alone, never truly sharing it with anyone else.

Especially a boy who was a singer.

~~FLAD~~

His first class was an art class. He had the class with Nick, who was guaranteed to be extremely helpful by Jeff. Thad always wanted to take an art class but was afraid. At Thurston, all of the cool kids took art and they all hated Thad. Dalton was his chance to break into something new and do whatever he wanted.

Thad ended up loving art class and enjoying Nick's company. Having friends was something Thad couldn't understand. He knew eventually he'd fuck it up and be friendless.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, causing Thad to jump out of skin. He skitted forward and started whimpering. He felt himself tear up, and the boys who had come to talk to him looked around worriedly. Nick and Jeff immediately knew what was up. Nick had been the same way when he first got to Dalton. Some people did not look kindly on homosexuality. The boys could only imagine what the world would do to a gay, deaf boy.

"Guys, give him room." Jeff started pushing the boys while Flint, after being pushed forward by Nick, tried to muster up enough courage to touch the panicking boy. Flint finally got a hold on himself and reached out to stroke Thad's arm, with the utmost care. Thad whipped his head around and stared wide-eyed at Flint, wondering what the fuck was going on.

_I'm sorry, _Thad signed and quickly ran away. The Warblers looked around in a frenzy, trying to figure out what to do. Thad ran to the senior commons and leaned up against one of the walls. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to his mother asking her to pick him up. Nothing could stop the embarrassment that was coursing through his body, causing a mild adrenalin rush. Thad didn't even notice that he was crying silently until his phone vibrated.

10:38am

To: Thad

From: Mum

Why?

Thad typed back a vague but demanding response to which his mum quickly responded, giving him 30 more minutes at Dalton before she arrived.

Little did Thad know, all of the Warblers were out looking for him. The boys were shooting texts at him left and right, hoping he would respond to someone. No one got a response. They decided to split up and search for him.

Flint walked around the arts building, knowing that Thad wouldn't have run to an unknown place. He walked through the halls, coming up with nothing, finally arriving in the senior commons. Thad was sitting on the floor behind the counsel desk crying. Flint panicked, not wanting to see such an innocent, beautiful boy in distress.

Thad must of seen Flint from the corner of his eye because he immediately lifted his head up and started signing something. He must have realised that Flint didn't know ASL because he facepalmed himself and looked deep in thought.

Thad started mouthing words. _So you found me. You can leave now. You don't need to stay with the Dalton charity case._

Flint immediately started shaking his head, "Thad stop. I don't see you as a charity case. I see you as a boy who needs help. And I want to help."

Thad just stared at Flint, gaping slightly. _You're serious aren't you?_ Thad seemed incredulous.

Flint nodded. He would gladly be here for the long run. Any boy this beautiful deserves all the love and help he can get. "You can talk to me about anything Thad."

_I'm sorry. I just can't tell you._ Thad didn't want to admit that the real reason he wouldn't tell Flint was because he hardly knew this attractive boy in front of him. He just didn't want to let Flint down or have Flint freak the fuck out when he realised that Thad was a weak, pathetic little boy who couldn't handle himself.

Flint just wanted Thad to be honest and trust him. He did understand that he only knew the shorter boy for 4 days. And they hadn't had a face-to-face conversation about anything serious. But Flint wanted to. So bad.

"All right Thad. Whenever you need to talk, I'm here. A text away. And on Friday, I'll be right down the hallway." Flint just wanted to reassure Thad that he had true friends.

Thad's phone vibrated and his face fell. _My mum is here Flint. I'll text you tonight?_ Hopefully Flint would want to know more about him.

Flint nodded and Thad got up to leave. Somehow the Warblers were all surrounding the door, watching the conversation between the boys. Some were smiling and others were talking. Thad blushed and quickly left the building to find his mum.

Flint just sat where they had been sitting, staring at the wall where Thad was just sitting. He had a faint smile on his face, thinking about how heartbreaking it was, thinking about how bad life at his old school must have been. He personally never faced homophobia, unless you count his dad walking out on his family. He couldn't imagine being disabled and gay in today's society. He had always gone to private school, and made it his mission to make Thad Harwood's life amazing from here on in.

11:23am

To: Flint

From: Thad

Thank you for talking to me. I appreciate it.

This boy was going to steal his heart and stomp on it.


End file.
